Parrish Jamar Morrisette, 23, faces one count of murder in the death of Gary Oneal Williams, 28.

Cpl. Robert Martin, of the Prichard Police Department, said three witnesses came forward after Williams's death. He said Williams was shot twice in the back in a field on John Avenue near West Main Street.

Williams ran across the road, where at least two people saw him collapse.

Before the shooting, Williams spent most of the day alone, Martin said. He drove to John Avenue and got out of his vehicle when he saw a blue car parked in the field where he was later shot.

He walked up to it. Inside sat Morrisette and the car's driver, identified as Kevin Holcombe.

Williams was talking to Holcombe and Morrisette when things started to get heated.

"Gary and Parrish had some words," Martin said, citing an interview with Holcombe. "Parrish exits the vehicle and walks around back. That's when shots were fired."

On a nearby porch Holcombe's relative, Calvin Holcombe, was texting on his phone. He heard two shots and looked up in time to see at least one more fired. In a photo lineup, he identified Morrisette as the man he watched fleeing the scene.

Another neighbor also saw the shooting, Martin said.

Few details were shared about the argument which led to the shooting. However, Morrisette's attorney, David Barnett, argued there was evidence to point to self-defense based on "bad blood" between the two men.

Martin said he was given multiple statements by Morrisette when he picked him up from the Publix in Daphne, where he works.

Among them, he said "Gary said he'd rob Parrish and beat his (expletive)," Martin testified.

Morrisette told police while he walked in back of the blue car on John Avenue, Williams reached into his pants as though he were grabbing a weapon. He said there was a brief tussle and Morrisette pulled out a gun and opened fire.

Martin said police found the gun used in the shooting at Morrisette's mother's home but no weapon was ever found on Williams.

Barnett asked whether police had heard of multiple, public threats made by Williams to Morrisette in the past. Mobile County District Attorney Ashley Rich objected to the line of questioning and District Court Judge Joe Basenberg agreed, saying the argument could be made in trial but had no bearing on Wednesday's proceedings.

Basenberg determined there was enough evidence to send the case to a grand jury.